Shane & Shane headline Ocala Free For All concert

Thursday

Nov 24, 2011 at 12:01 AM

The Texas-based Christian duo plays the annual Free For All music showcase in downtown Ocala. The free event also will feature Andrew Peterson, Lance Herring and the bands Civil Parish and Letters from Patmos.

By Ariane AndersonCorrespondent

Music draws people for a variety of reasons — genre, poetry, rhythm and even nostalgia. Most often, though, it is simply the soul of the artist calling out to us.Live acoustic music, in particular, communicates the vulnerability of an artist simply and directly, providing a straight shot to the listener’s heart with few tools and tricks.Such is the style slated for the square Friday night when Texas-based Christian duo Shane & Shane headlines the annual Free For All music showcase in downtown Ocala. The free event also will feature Andrew Peterson, Lance Herring and the bands Civil Parish and Letters from Patmos.With a rhythmically acoustic style, Shane Barnard and Shane Everett have performed together for more than 13 years and toured the nation extensively, sometimes doing up to 300 shows a year. The band began “very sovereignly and randomly” at Texas A&M, Barnard said. A business major who grew up in a non-musical household, Barnard picked up a guitar for the first time while in college. Before long, though, the duo found itself selling more than 500,000 records, touring with the David Crowder Band and earning three Dove Awards.“We have been trying for a few years to bring Shane & Shane to the stage,” says Dan Curington of Central Christian Church, which presents Free For All. “It’s a big deal to bring them here, as well as special guest Andrew Peterson.”Free For All is now in its fifth year and has traditionally drawn college-age crowds. However, this year’s scheduled artists routinely draw audiences from all age groups.Describing their music as organic-acoustic, leaning heavily on storytelling folksy blues, R&B and occasionally pop, Barnard said their new album, “The One You Need,” is the most diverse of all of their projects; its eclectic musical quality is as pleasing as it is decidedly interesting. As a songwriter and teacher, Barnard writes devotionally and perceptively about the gospel of Christ. Andrew Peterson, originally from Lake Butler, is a singer and author who toured this fall with Steven Curtis Chapman. He said he is thrilled to be back in Ocala again. Throughout his songwriting, Peterson said he strives to “tell truth as beautifully as I can, because in a world of darkness, beauty is what stands out.”As author of the bestselling children’s fantasy fiction series “The Wingfeather Saga,” Peterson is also the founder of an artists’ community, The Rabbit Room, which is “a place for anyone who’s ever been wrecked by a song, book, film or painting and wondered why.” Peterson said he is all about “creating art that deserves a second look.”Curington called Friday’s event a gift to the community.“This year’s show is a huge effort and we want our community to experience the excellence that Christian music has to offer,” he said. “We want people to come out and enjoy themselves.”